


'Other Necessities' Ennoshita did Not Need to Know About

by rayofsun936



Series: Ennoshita and... [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Ennoshita Chikara is So Done, Ennoshita Chikara is a Good Friend, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Nishinoya Yuu & Tanaka Ryuunosuke are Bros, Shopping Lists, Ties
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:34:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29705529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rayofsun936/pseuds/rayofsun936
Summary: Ennoshita has lived with his mess of roommates for quite some time now and has seen and heard everything. Or he thought he did. Discovering Nishinoya and Tanaka’s shopping lists tells him otherwise. What does ‘Protection’ even mean?!Or Ennoshita risks going to the forbidden land looking for his tie and gets much more than he bargained for.
Relationships: Ennoshita Chikara & Nishinoya Yuu & Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Kinoshita Hisashi/Narita Kazuhito
Series: Ennoshita and... [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2052201
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	'Other Necessities' Ennoshita did Not Need to Know About

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy!

Chikara is getting frustrated. He’s been looking for his good tie for a handful of hours now and still hasn’t found it. His room isn’t that big. There are only so many places it can be.

For some unknown reason it’s not in his closet with the rest of his ties. Not that he has many. He’s got nice rich deep blue one his dad bought him for his first formal event. (In his last year of middle school his English teacher had him join the speech and debate club. Claiming he is very fluent and comprehensible enough to compete. He didn’t win his debate but got a ribbon for being the audience’s favorite speaker.)

He also has a flaming neon yellow one with flamingos in various sports wear as a gag gift from Kinoshita. Whatever hell site Kinoshita found it on is beyond him. Chikara refuses to wear it for its intended purpose. (It’s for your fancy job interviews Captain! You got to look your best you know!). Although, he has gotten some good use out of it as an accessory to ugly sweater parties.

The one tie Chikara really needs to find STAT is the forest green one his mom bought him to wear for business type events while in college. ‘It matches your eyes Chika,’ she said when he opened the box. He doesn’t really get how the green matches his brown eyes, but he really likes the specific shade of green it is anyways, so he wears that one most often.

Leading to the mystery of its current whereabouts. Chikara meticulously goes through each drawer of his wardrobe. Removing all of his socks and t-shirts before neatly placing them back when he turns up empty handed. He decides to check the laundry room in case it fell out of his laundry basket during his last load even though there isn’t much space for it to hide in there either. But with his interview being tomorrow he’s desperate and will try anything at this point.

He turns on the flight light on his phone and flattens himself on the ground. Shining the light underneath the machines. Disappointingly all he finds are dust bunnies.

Sighing, Chikara ventures into the living room. Maybe the tooth fairy took it and hid it under the couch. He mentally facepalms himself for such a ludicrous thought. Nishinoya and Tanaka are influencing his life more than he would like.

He groans out loud when he physically removes the couch cushions, blaming Kinoshita this time for acting upon his internal thoughts. He finds a hand full of pennies and the Dreidel Narita lost in December during their tournament (he was trying to spin it upside-down, and it went flying into the unknown).

After the couch cushions are replaced Chikara sits down a few cents richer than when he started his search. Too bad it isn’t enough to buy him a new tie. He would wear the blue one but that one feels a bit too passive for its intended purpose. And there is no way he is wearing the monstrosity Kinoshita bought him.

After a half-an-hour of staring at the ceiling he remembers he lent his green tie to Narita for one of his interviews a while back. Pulling out his phone Chikara sends his roommate a text.

 **Chikara:** Hey, where did you put the tie I lent you? Want to wear it for my interview tomorrow.

While he waits for a response Chikara returns to his room to put together the rest of his suit. Mainly to figure out which pair of dress socks to match his tie with. Has he mentioned yet he isn’t the best with color coordination?

His pocket vibrates.

 **Only other sane person on this planet:** Oh, I let Hisashi use it for a night to one of his formals.   
**Chikara:** You WHAT?  
 **Only other sane person on this planet:** I know I know. I’m sorry.

The one person he trusts in this house betrayed him.

 **Only other sane person on this planet:** I made him clean it afterwards and it's hanging in our room to dry.  
 **Only other sane person on this planet:** I promise.  
 **Chikara:** It better be.

He then changes Narita’s contact to ‘Traitor’ before continuing his search.

Narita and Kinoshita’s shared room happens to be the master bedroom of their apartment. Benefit of being the first signers of the lease and Narita’s parents paying for all of their renters’ insurance.

Chikara is totally _not_ jealous of the size of their bathroom. Definitely not jealous of the fact their bathroom has a window that can be opened to let out the shower steam. Or of the fact they can fit a bathmat under their sink and tub, still leaving room for a plastic storage container.

He checks their double closet and finds nothing in the process of drying. He sighs heavily as he texts Narita his findings or lack thereof.

 **Chikara:** You have nothing drying in your room.  
 **Traitor:** You sure?  
 **Traitor:** Did you check the bathroom?  
 **Chikara:** Yes I checked the bathroom.

He has to wait a few minutes to get a reply.

 **Traitor:** I swear it was hanging in the closet on my side. The left half.

Chikara ventures to that side of the room, sliding the closet door open again. Hoping his tie magically came back from wherever it was in the last five minutes. 

**Chikara:** Nope  
 **Traitor:** Give me a sec, I’ll ask Hisashi

Chikara groans. If Kinoshita did something with his mother’s tie, he will absolutely throw him over the balcony this time. He’s held back in every other instance. He can do it just this once.

His phone buzzes and Chikara doesn’t want to know what news it brings this time.

 **Devil:** Kazu said you were looking for your tie  
 **Devil:** The green one right?  
 **Chikara:** Yes, that one.

He holds his breath, fearing Kinoshita’s answer.

 **Devil:** Well search no further! cause I know where it is :)

‘Where’ Chikara sends after it became obvious Kinoshita wasn’t going to reveal the location without further prompting.

 **Devil:** Tanaka and Nishinoya have it!  
 **Chiakra:** Why do they have my tie  
 **Devil:** They were looking for things to tie up some stuff in their room, and since you tie a tie I gave them all the ties in the room :D

Chikara chucks his phone out the door since his roommate isn’t in arms, reach and gets little satisfaction out of hearing it clatter against the tile flooring of their kitchen. He then internally screams before reminding himself spring break is a few weeks away and everyone is visiting home. Leaving the apartment all to himself for one full week.

Reluctantly Chikara picks up his phone on the way to the disaster zone, seeing messages from each of the boyfriends.

 **Devil:** did you get it Captain? tie a tie!! **  
Devil:** Captain?

 **Traitor:** I’ll make it up to you next weekend.  
 **Traitor:** And he’s sleeping on the floor tonight. Feel free to help him out with that.

Chikara grins manically, quickly retraces his steps, and dumps all of Kinoshita’s pillows and other sleep comforts on the floor into a giant pile. Then he gives himself a pat on the back for a job well done. He steals one of Kinoshita’s snacks from the pantry for good measure on the way to his tie’s supposed whereabouts.

Now this isn’t Chikara’s first time entering the weird duo’s room, but he tries to keep it to a minimum. It’s Tanaka and Nishinoya. That alone is explanation enough to not cross the invisible barrier separating them from the rest of the apartment.

This time around their room isn’t in its usual messy, chaotic state. Nishinoya’s bunk is still unmade but Tanaka’s is surprisingly neatly made with only the occasional t-shirts haphazardly thrown on top. Both of their desks are still nowhere to be found under all of the various times and nick-nacks they have piled up on them. Explaining why they are always studying out in the living room or somewhere on campus.

But the floor is walkable, and their closet can almost be fully shut. All in all, Chikara is impressed with their clean up job. But alas, their room still can’t be a normal room. The multiple ties tied to each other and hanging from the ceiling with different colored sticky notes scattered about like Christmas lights proves it.

Upon closer inspection Chikara recognizes the sticky notes as lists. Shopping lists to be more specific. With the items being written in various colors.

A green sticky note reads: _dairy products; cultural worldwide recipes; veggies (anything but celery and onions); protein powder_ , _bathmat_

An orange one has: _detective dinosaur fabric; energy bars (good tasting and high in protein); that one hamster ball from that one commercial; sun protection; fruits (any); meat (the yummy kind); TP and PT; pots_

A blue one lists: _rice [or any kind of grains/starch got to have those carbs ;) ]; utensils; star-wars underwear with Finn and Poe on it (for Saeko); sweets (not holiday flavored); paper to write more lists on (haha, we should keep better track of them); the really good kneepads from that one store from that one trip last year (not the same high quality ones the school gives), green bean_

There are more notes scattered about but with only one to three items on them each.

“I officially give up on these two,” Chikara mutters to himself and then starts detangling his tie from the rest.

“Great, now I’m talking to myself,” he chastises himself. “At least spring break is coming up soon. And then I can-”

“You’re making spring break plans without us!?”

Chikara freezes with his arms in the air and slowly turns around to see Tanaka holding multiple shopping bags. One of which is overflowing with fabric. Nishinoya on the other hand can hardly be seen behind the PVC pipes that almost reach the ceiling.

“Yup, because you aren’t invited,” Chikara answers honestly, because he really needs a break from everything associated with school, which includes his poor choice in roommates.

“Chikara!!” Nishinoya whines behind the tubing. “I thought we were _Friends_!!”

“What are you doing in our room anyways?” Tanaka asks as he throws his oversized bags on to his bed.

Nishinoya tries to do the same with his load and ends up knocking down most of the ties. “Oh yah! What’s up with that?” he asks with no trace of his previous concern of betrayal.

Chikara swiftly finishes rescuing his tie before anything else can happen to it. Then holds it up in place of his answer.

“I thought that was Hisashi’s?”

“It is?” Tanaka questions as he starts collecting the fallen ties and shopping lists. “I saw Narita wear it about a week ago. It’s not his?”

Nishinoya has finally found a place for the PVC pipes to rest while not obstructing the whole room.

“No, it’s not,” Chikara clarifies. “It’s mine. My mom gave it to me.”

“Your mom has very good taste. Saeko would approve.” Nishinoya gives a thumbs up for emphasis.

“Thanks, but coming from you two, that’s not much of a complement.” Chikara gets a better look at the fabric the two bought when Tanaka starts spreading it out on the floor.

“You didn’t.”

“Didn’t what?” Ryuu asks, trying to find the best way to make the dinosaurs dressed up as detectives fit in their room. Chikara has no response. Is unable to form words at this moment.

When his brain fails to find a logical reason for the chaotic duo to actually buy such a ridiculous item, he regretfully asks the forbidden question. “ _Why_ , out of all of the other things you needed to buy, why that one?

“Easy,” Nishinoya replies, “because it was Red. We never _not_ get items in red.”

“And red means…?”

Tanaka provides the explanation while holding up the stacked lists for Chikara to look through. “Red is for: must need to buy at earliest convince. Orange is: don’t forget to buy me I’m important. Blue is: buy me when you remember. And green is: would be nice to have but don’t sweat it.”

Chikara tucks his tie into his back pocket and holds the lists like they are covered in goo.

“So… for you two: detective dinosaur fabric, protein powder and paper to write more lists on are an absolute must have. While energy bars, sun protection along with TP and PT are whenever? What do you even mean by utensils?”

“Like forks and pens silly.” Chikara doesn’t appreciate being patronized by Nishinoya in this way.

He looks at the other smaller lists he didn’t bother to pay attention to earlier. Items such as Mothman, notebooks for class and storage squares were written in orange, green and blue respectively.

What makes Chikara stop in his tracks is the word ‘Protection’ written in all caps, bolded and underlined in orange glittery gel pen all by itself on a neon yellow sticky note.

“Do I even want to know what this means?”

“Probably not,” is Tanaka’s unexpected response at his shoulder. Since when did he get there? And Chikara really needs to stop voicing his thoughts out loud today. 

“Which one is it?” Nishinoya asks now trying to look over his shoulder as well. “Ooooh. Damn Ryuu, we should have written that one in red. No wonder we forgot.”

“I know bro. And we could have bought them today too if we did.”

“Bought what?” Chikara asks before he lets his imagination wander on the implications of ‘protection’.

“Nitrile gloves and goggles of course.” This time Tanaka is the one to make the weird connection with a single word.

“For...?”

“Protection obviously. Keep up Chikara.”

“Yah, Ennoshita. It’s not that hard.”

“You two enjoy your protection then?” he gets out confusingly, cause what else is he supposed to say to that explanation.

“We will!” is Nishinoya’s overly enthusiastic response. “I am so excited for when our project is completed!”

“I know!” Ryuu is now using a measuring tape to, well measure the dinosaurs. “It’s going to be killer once built!”

Chikara is oh so done with this interaction and tries to leave stealthily.

“We have enough superglue Noya?”

Nishinoya hums as he calculates imaginary numbers in his head. Then rapidly looks back and forth between the ties and PVC pipes.

“Superglue, maybe. Ties, no. Especially if Chikara takes his back.”

They both snap their heads towards him. He was so close. So close to escaping.

“Are you sure?” Tanaka questions. “We already took all of Narita and Kinoshita’s.”

“Yup!” Nishinoya pops the P. They look at him expectantly.

“No.”

“Plllease?”

“You would be the best roommate in the world Ennoshita.”

Chikara tires his best to hold out on them, but caves in the end like he always does. He hates their puppy dog faces. “Fine. Wait here.”

He retrieves his yellow flamingo tie from his room and tosses it upon the dinosaurs.

“Actually…” Nishinoya starts.

“That’s kind of perfect,” Tanaka finishes.

“Not even going to ask this time.”

“It’s for the end of the semester,” Nishinoya provides, not skipping a beat. Chikara _really_ needs to stop voicing his thoughts out loud today.

He nods his head in fake understanding (even though neither of them are even looking at him) and slowly backs out of their room. He’s had enough excitement to last him through springbreak and then some.

“Bet I can convince Fukunaga to let us use his penguin umbrella…” Chikara gratefully shuts the door to his room, silencing the rest of that ridiculous sentence. ‘Noya you’re a genius!’ still leaks through unfortunately.

To fully drown them out Chikara blasts music through his headphones. He has an interview to prepare for after all. 

Chikara takes a deep breath to calm his nerves and then opens the door.

“Hello,” his potential boss greets him while wearing the same tie from hell Kinoshita bought him.

“Oh, this?” the man points to his chest. Chikara can only nod in order to not make himself ruder than he already has by staring.

“I found it on the internet while randomly browsing for sportswear. Isn’t it great!?”

Chikara nods again in disbelief.

“So, I thought why not? Look! It has so many different sports on it! And since we are mainly a sports rehabilitation center, I thought it was very fitting. The internet is a wonderful place.” Chikara is convinced he his dreaming and his actual interview is tomorrow.

“Sorry for that. It was very unprofessional.” The manager clears his throat and takes a deep breath.

“Nice to meet you Ennoshita Chikara. Please take a seat and we can get started.”

Chikara nods again and sits down in the offered chair. Deciding he won’t be severely disappointed if he doesn’t get the internship, because there are plenty of other places where he won’t have to look at the tie taking center stage of his current nightmares.

**Author's Note:**

> And with that I wrap up 100,000 words posted on this website, after posting my first work about a year ago. *Pats self on back*  
> Oh, and Tanaka got into Ennoshita's phone one day and renamed all of his contacts.  
> Hope I was able to give you a good laugh!
> 
> [tumble](https://rayofsun936.tumblr.com/)


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